The Jedi Council: What do You Want to See in Star Wars: Rogue One?
With Disney’s own convention — D23 — coming next week, August 14 – 16, the word on the street is that we may get an actual first trailer for Star Wars: Rogue One. In that regard, our Jedi Council discusses what we would like to see from the much vaunted first Star Wars Anthology film.
David: Star Wars: Rogue One is going to be unique in the Star Wars film franchise, as for the first time, the story will not revolve around the Jedi and the Sith…and that’s okay. There are tons of stories to be told from the points of view of the Rebel Forces who infiltrated the Empire to steal the plans for the Death Star. For me, I want to see the soldiers on the ground, who often get looked over by the Sith and Jedi as cannon fodder.
I also want to see a Jedi who is helping the Rebel Forces. I’m not saying I want the Jedi to be the center of the story, but since we already know that Darth Vader will be making an appearance in the film, in some sort of fashion, I feel like a Force user with equal or close to equal power to that of Vader’s, could be used to turn the tide in the favor of the Rebel Alliance.
Finally, I want to see the Empire’s special ops core in action. The feared Inquisitors and the extensive spy network employed by the Empire, have always taken a back seat to the much larger than life characters like the Jedi and the Sith. I also want to see some battle savvy rebels. I want them to get into the mix of the action and not just provide nameless bodies piled up around the lightsaber of Lord Vader, but soldiers that have the skill and wherewithal to fight back.
Kyle Warnke: Rogue One will be the first Star Wars film that’s free to forge an identity of its own. While the six existing episodes and the upcoming three have to operate within the confines of the franchise’s sensibilities and hallmarks, the Anthology films will allow the underlying ideas of Star Wars a chance to breathe and explore some new territory.
I’m most interested in seeing how Gareth Edwards tackles this challenge, particularly his proclamation that he’s putting the “Wars” in “Star Wars.” He’s promising a darker, bleaker film than anything we’ve seen before from the series, emphasizing the fact that the Jedi will not play as prominent a role and so won’t be able to swoop in and save the day.
Hopefully, Rogue One doesn’t bend too much in the direction of the oversaturated, dirt-encrusted, rampant shaky-cam blockbuster environment today. I’m praying that the film’s heist element will help increase the levity in the film so that it’s not weighed down by a gloomy atmosphere. The balancing of these two seemingly disparate tempers, I think, will prove important to determining if Rogue One is a success.
Elaine Tveit: When it comes to Rogue One, my biggest concern is that it should feel like Star Wars. That seems like a “duh” statement; of course it will feel like Star Wars, it is Star Wars! But with the Anthology films exploring new genres and characters, I don’t want any of them to forget that distinctive aesthetic, that drama, humor, and optimism that is inherent in all six saga films, that has defined Star Wars and made it the beloved franchise it is today.
Rogue One will be, as we know, a story about war. It may even delve in to the grittiness of bloody conflict, and the harshness of how cheaply life can be ripped away by a laser bolt or an explosion; typical elements of a war film. Darkness in general, is not something that Star Wars has ever shied away from, and Rogue One may prove the perfect vessel with which to explore it; but if it is explored through constant gore, frenzied struggles for survival, and brutal violence, my fear is the film will stray from Star Wars and become just a science fiction war story, with “Star Wars” being merely a part of its title.
Of course, that may not be the exact direction Rogue One is going. Again, Star Wars, though it has “war” in its title, is much more about human emotions, heroism, and fun than it is about the battles between clones and droids, Stormtroopers and rebel soldiers. Gareth Edwards, and everyone at Lucasfilm, who know the franchise better than anyone else, are surely aware that a balance must be maintained between the two aesthetics; between fun and optimism, and blood and grit. Consequently, I look forward to Rogue One with hope that I will enjoy it as much as any Star Wars fan could, for the reason that it will feel like Star Wars.
And that’s all a Star Wars fan can ask for, after all.
Michael Valverde: I am interested in the story line of Felicity Jones character in Rogue One. I felt that what Kyle Warnke wrote in his excellent article on what her role could be is right on point. As Kyle says in the article “One thing to keep in mind: Just because Jones could be Fett’s daughter doesn’t mean she’s a bounty hunter or a Rebel. I would assume she eventually joins the Rebels as she’s a main character in the movie, but it’s possible she’s not aligned with the Rebel Alliance from the get-go.”
To expand further on this, my idea for Felicity Jones character is she grows up believing she is the actual daughter of Boba Fett. She grows up struggling to live with the idea that her father is a bounty hunter and someone not pure of soul as she is. Jones eventually learns that she is not the offspring of Fett but a pawn in taking down the Rebels. This pushes her over to the Rebel side as they see the good and purity in her. Jones’ character is eventually put into a position of leadership and has to face her supposed father in a dual of dark and light. If she can defeat her father, the Rebels steal the plans of building the Death Star, if not, can she return in triumph?
Another angle that I like is that Felicity Jones plays the younger Mon Mothma. Mothma character was seen in Return of the Jedi (ROTJ), as she briefs the Rebels on taking down the rebuilding of the Death Star. Their ages coincide (Jones and Mothma), and what a better way to learn about another character without much of a backstory that had a key role in ROTJ.
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